hey fellas I just wanted to have a quick word with you today about orientation no
matter where you go okay back in my day when you could you could learn to truck
you get your CDL if he was coming out of military
there wasn't a CDL really it was a new thing in the works and or you get
grandfathered in like I did wouldn't schools I mean they were there but
nobody went to them except for I don't know who the hell what country people
didn't go to them but now everything's different if you're going to an
orientation now and I've only actually been to three orientations in my life
because I was you know around my own Authority or working for small
independent carriers you know running at least my truck on but if you're going
things mega carriers now they're very detailed and they're running through so
many people through their classes that they don't have a lot of time in some
ways to be as detailed on some things where things get lost in the shuffle and
you're going to find people at these orientations that are jaded they've
already been at 9,000 carriers they switched jobs every year or every month
or whatever they do right another thing don't switch jobs very often that's
that's you're bad on you but they're jaded and you're going to get together
with them in the rooms or in the smoking areas or in a van going to your analysis
or whatever and they're going to have horror stories sometimes watch those
people and take them with a grain of salt everything they say because you're
going to find that a lot of them have created their own horror stories
the companies will definitely help them create horror stories too but be wary of
them you know if they're saying hey let's go out and get a beer you might
like to have a beer but tonight ain't the time to go have a
beer wait till you get home or let's go over to the gentlemen's club don't do
this stay out of anything that can get you in
trouble ask questions during orientations and take notes on
everything but don't be one of those guys that annoys everyone you know you
do want to know some stuff but it's okay to ask some drivers that are already
there it's been there for a while and stuff especially if you're going out on
trainer's truck he should teach you everything and if they send you out with
a trainer and he's only using you as a logbook so he can get the extra miles
request to get off that truck with that trainer because training is the most
important thing for you at these companies to learn safety and a lot of
times you'll say the things will you you might not say it but you're thinking oh
that's an oxymoron because you just told me yesterday to do this and today you're
telling me do this this is a job that in many different scenarios one thing or
another applies on this day you might have to do this but on this day for
safety reasons you might need to do this you know like aggressive driving
sometimes you might have to drive aggressively for a moment to get out of
the situation right because you see something developing ahead of you
once you get out with your trainer after you've done your orientation and just
the best thing in orientation is to keep a low profile show up dress
professionally and do your job because your job is just to get through
orientation once you get out there with that trainer you soak up everything he
has to say and if he only has a little bit of experience you may be you know
depending on what company you with you might have to go with someone that
doesn't have a lot of experience but if he doesn't have a lot of experience find
somebody to talk to I mean some people don't have a clue on
how to properly go down a mountain they wasn't taught the right way some people
don't have a clue on how to properly fuel you'll see them on YouTube telling
you how to do things that's ok they're good guys they're well-meaning but it
doesn't mean they know all I don't know all and I think my kids think I know
everything I foster that has a thought in their head right but I don't how
about I try and I try to learn everything I can every day but don't let
these experiences be a bad experience for you
don't let it sour you to the company whatever when it come to your with when
you decide to go if you decide to go leave the proper way if you're going
through somewhere where they're going to actually pay for your training that's a
big saving so you've got to look at all your options but be positive because
what you bring to this game is what you get out of it in the end don't let them
break your nuts just don't let it happen be positive at all times
smile when you go into a shipper or a receiver
be professional I support flip-flops but not going into
the ship or the receiver okay when you're in the desert 118 degrees where
you flip-flops are you going in there where your shoes don't wear your pajamas
in there either these things look bad on you and every driver in your company you
know how to do it you watch television you've seen people act like adults right
well this is adult time but just don't fall into the trap of negativity so a
lot of the guys that will come to your orientation I guess it'd have been to
other one tations and they're already negative they come in with a negative
I've seen it all this is gonna be just as much crap as the last one right they
they have but they shouldn't have that attitude because they're there they're
already poisoning their own well but they're poisoning your well too so Tom's
up have a great day be positive it's all gonna be okay it's
just another day